Once while driving Suzuki
Roshi back to San Francisco from Los Altos, I asked him if there was much hope
for that handful of middle-aged, suburban housewives to accomplish anything as
Zen students. After all, I thought, they only sit together once a week, unlike
we students who sat daily at Zen Center.

He told me their
understanding was "actually pretty good," and he noted, "They don't seem to
suffer from arrogance."